Recommendations of Round-Table Conference

State Duma Committee on Ecology  

March 29   2007

At the round-table conference took part deputies of State Duma, representatives of ministries and agencies, regional administrative organs, bearing a relation to developing renewable energetics and using with these purpose mechanisms of Kyoto Protocol, as well as representatives of business community, scientific and non-governmental organizations.  

Members of round-table, having heard and discussed reports and speeches as well as comments and proposals, note the following: 

One of the first priorities in increasing efficiency of energy consumption in the Russian Federation is diversification of energy sources by owing to intensive development of decentralized small energetics with use of local kinds of fuel. In “Priority Directions for Developing Science, Technologies and Techniques in the Russian Federation” (21.05.06 #Pr-842) President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin mentioned among other things also a task of producing fuel and energy from organic raw materials. 

Wide opportunities in relation to ecological, energetic and social matters present utilization of forest biomass in form of tree species with low value and wastes of wood cutting and processing. Solution of this task is especially critical for small towns and settlements of Central-European and Northern parts of the Russian Federation located at large distances from major gas pipelines. According to available estimates, in communities where the main industrial activities are connected with wood processing, annual volumes of wastes exceed energetic needs of housing and communal services. By this it is possible to reduce cost of energy supply, to sharply decrease volume and concentration of harmful exhausts to the atmosphere, to create new jobs in local energy sector.

Results of analytical researches show that there are enough raw materials for sustainable developing local energy sector by using wooden biomass and wastes from forest management.  New evidence was also received in the course of researches conducted by the Partnership on Renewable Energy and Energetic Efficiency. 

Commercial opportunities of Kyoto Protocol’s mechanisms in the most important for the Russian enterprises sphere of joint projects present a substantial stimulus for attracting investments for developing renewable energetics and, what is especially important, guarantee considerable, up to 30-40%, reduction of repay period for investments. 

Sector of renewable energetics on the basis of wide utilizing biomass is innovative both as for applied technologies and logistics in supply of resources, and for forming local energetic and correspondingly commercial infrastructure. This sector needs adequate regulatory-legal support. Among other thing it’s necessary to precipitate drafting a law “On Support of Small Energetics”, technological regulations on using biomass for heat and electricity production, basics of tariff policy in this sphere. Also there is an urgent need in developing regulatory rules for utilizing wooden wastes and norms of reforestation foreseen by Forest Code of the Russian Federation. Availability of modern technologies for wooden wastes processing allows solving many problems of small energetics. There is a need in corresponding amendments to the law “On Concessions” regarding exploitation of boiler-houses belonging to housing and communal services after modernizing and transferring these facilities on utilizing wastes of wood processing.  Use of Kyoto Protocol stimuli for wide implementing projects based on renewable energy is hindered by unjustified delays in implementing National Rules for Realizing Projects of Joint Execution (PJE). At the same time, by expert evaluations for official registrations are ready such Projects on total sum of more than 15 billion rubles. 

The participants of round-table conference recommend the State Duma of the Russian Federation: 

1. To accelerate developing and adopting the law “On Supporting Small Energetics”.  
2. To accelerate adopting a bill “On Fees for Negative Impact on Environment” with foreseeing in it increase of payments for placing wastes of wood cutting and processing with due regard for available technologies of energetic utilizing these wastes.   
3. Committees of the State Duma on Ecology, Energetics, Transportation and Communication shall accelerate submitting proposals on amendments to federal Law “On Concessions” with regard to stimulating investments into modernizing energetic facilities and boiler-houses of housing and communal services for utilizing renewable kinds of fuel. 

The Government of the Russian Federation shall:

1. Accelerate developing and adopting a Federal Special Purpose Program “Increasing Effectiveness of Energy Consumption in the Russian Federation” and related to it branch programs aimed at utilizing renewable energetic sources with due regard for specific features of the regions. 
2. Complete coordinating cycle and adopt rules of developing and implementing in the Russian Federation PJE foreseeing in Kyoto Protocol’s flexibility mechanisms. 
3. Accelerate developing regulatory acts and technical regulations  foreseeing by the Forest Code regarding rules of reforestation and use of wastes of forest management.